Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-09

gave as we were huddled together In the wood box of the tender was to jump of, one by one, scatter in the woods, and each man strive to make his own way back to the Union armyl We hesitated, but had no concert of action, no leader, no time for council, and the instinct of obedience was still strong upon us; but it was a fatal order, and led directly to the calami- ties that followed. It transformed us in a moment from 2 formidable body of picked soldiers, ready to fight to death, into scattered mass of fugitive boys, be- wildered and hopeless in an enemy's country.
 Yet no one of us felt like censuring our leader for this order, which every one at the moment believed to be terrible mis- take. Probably he thought that each man of the party would find relief in being cast entirely on his own resources.
 It must further be remembered, in ex- planation of this mistaken order, that Andrews had slept none the night before, that he had been nearly twenty-four hours without food, and that he had spent nearly two days and Q night in the most exhaust ing labors, both mental and physical, that it is possible to conceive. He had seen his cherished plans, when on the brink of suc- cess, overthrown by what seemed the re- n,orseless hand of destiny. To the many failures and sorrows of his past life had been added the crowning misfortune of this defeat Perhaps under his calm brow he realized this with an intensity of anguish, and felt that the greatest favor he could do those he had led within sight of 6 horrible death. and into the presence of an enraged and triumphant foe, was to separate them at once from his own dark and shadowed destiny. If so, that was the most fearful mistake of all; and as this order was given, we could almost, as we looked southward through the driving rain and the storm clouds, behold already the dark outline of the Atlanta scaffolds!
 It was pitiful! The General had served us well ever since the morning hour in fearful speed and patient waiting, in ex ulting raptures and in almost despair. It was hard to abandon her now. She was substantially uninjured. The engineers, Brown and Knight, had taken good care of her, and with wood and oil in abund- ance, there would have been no difficulty on her part in completing the run to Huntsville. She was still jogging along at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour, and could maintain that pace little longer. The pursuers had also diminished their speed, so as to just keep us in sight, having apparently no wish to press upon what may have seemed to them like 6 WOuuueu Auu Oy1u& 11Ou. The COLQmaQO to "jump off and scatter" was repeated with the injunction to be quick about it, as the engineer wished to reverse the en- zine and drive it back upon the enemy. With such a reason there could be no more hesitation. It is said that some l. three or four had already got off at the first word of command; but the most of us had hesitated, not on account of the still rapid motion of the train, but in the idle hope that in some way this terrible parting might be averted. Now one after another clambered down on the step and swung off. was neither among the first nor the last, and jumping unskill- fully out from the step, instead of for ward, whirled over and over on hands and feet for several revolutions. Rising in a dazed condition, though unhurt, with the exception of 8 few scratches from the briers with which the place abounded, looked over the animated scene with the deepest interest. The men who jumped off were, according to instructions, flying ill different directions, few others were just coming off the engine in much the same way that I had done, while the en- gineers were attempting to carry out their scheme of reversing the engine, which could do no good now, except possibly to